Abl IP Holding LLC

Alexander Jacob Schultz

John M Reilly

James Michael Phipps

An Mao

Steve Lyons

Ravi Kumar Komanduri

The examples relate to various implementations of an electrowetting cell and optical devices including the electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell includes a conductive fluid and a non-conductive fluid having refractive indices that differ by at least 0.2. In an example, the fluids of the electrowetting cell are capable of providing at least 50% transmissivity to radiation in a preselected band within the x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, or radiowave spectrums after 1 hour at a temperature of 40&#xb0; C. and/or after 1 hour of an exposure at an average illuminance of at least 80,000 lux. In another example, the non-conductive fluid is selected from a compound of Formula 1, 2, or 3: in which Rto Rand Rto Rare independently selected from H, a saturated or unsaturated, branched or linear C1 to C6 alkyl group, and a phenyl group; R and Rare aromatic groups, optionally substituted by one or more heteroatoms selected from N, O, and Si, and, in Formula 1, Rand R are optionally linked to one another so as to define a ring; and n is an integer from 1 to 5. The electrowetting cell may be coupled to an optical device, such as a light sensor or light emitting device.

Electrowetting cells with high transmissivity fluids

The examples relate to various implementations of an electrowetting cell and optical devices including the electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell includes an ionic conductive fluid and a non-conductive fluid having refractive indices that differ by at least 0.2. In an example, the fluids of the electrowetting cell are capable of providing at least 50% transmissivity to radiation in a preselected band within the x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, or radiowave spectrums after 1 hour at a temperature of 40&#xb0; C. and/or after 1 hour of an exposure at an average illuminance of at least 80,000 lux. In another example, the ionic conductive fluid is selected from a compound of Formula 1: in which R is a substituted or unsubstituted, branched or unbranched alkyl group comprising 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R, R, and Rare independently selected from a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group; and X is selected from a halogen, a sulfonate or sulfonamide group. The electrowetting cell may be coupled to an optical device.

Fluid systems for electrowetting cells

An example fighting device has a luminaire and a driver circuit. The luminaire includes a variable electrokinetic optic that includes an electrokinetic fluid between a transparent substrate and a diffuser. The electrokinetic fluid includes a carrier fluid mixed with charged particles. The variable electrokinetic optic further includes a transparent substrate electrode and a diffuser electrode configured to generate an electric field in the electrokinetic fluid in response to a control voltage applied across the transparent substrate electrode and the transparent diffuser electrode. The electric field attracts the charged particles to adjust an effective birefringence of the variable electrokinetic optic. Increasing the effective birefringence increases an output beam angle of the emitted illumination lighting relative to an input beam angle. The driver circuit selectively controls the applied control voltage.

Dynamic refractive index control for beam shaping utilizing variable electrokinetic optic

In an electrowetting cell or system using the cell, electrode configuration and/or associated control of electrode drive signal(s) compensate for the impact of an external condition such as gravity, vibration or motion, which may otherwise cause distortion or aberration in the optical geometry of the fluid(s) of the electrowetting cell. The compensation technology may allow for larger electrowetting cell designs, whether lenses, prisms or other various electrowetting devices.

Electrowetting with compensation for force that may otherwise cause distortion or aberration

An electrowetting cell includes a substrate that includes a well filled with at least one fluid an external contact surface. The substrate is formed of ceramic or fiberglass mesh infused with resin. A control channel electrode connection pad and a common electrode connection pad are on the external contact surface. A first plate is coupled to the substrate to seal a first end of the well. A second plate is coupled to the substrate to seal a second end of the well. The electrowetting cell further includes a control channel electrode on the substrate configured to control a shape of the at least one fluid via an electric field, a common electrode, a control channel electrode interconnect connected to the control channel electrode and the control channel electrode connection pad, and a common electrode interconnect connected to the common electrode and the common electrode connection pad.

Electrowetting cell constructs

The examples herein relate to assembly techniques and structures for sealing and lateral pressure compensation techniques that can be utilized in, for example, an electrowetting cell. The electrowetting cell can include a substrate that supports a well filled with a liquid. The electrowetting cell can include a control channel electrode to control the liquid via an electric field and a circuit connection to drive the control channel electrode. A seal is coupled to a spacer to seal the well between the substrate and the transparent cover. An expansion space, exterior to the well, is formed with the coupling of the seal and the spacer. As the liquid or the gas thermally expands or contracts, the seal compensates laterally by deforming sideways in an empty space of the expansion space.

Sealing and lateral pressure compensation structures usable with fluidic or gaseous material containers

In a liquid crystal type variable beam shaping optic, a part of a structure that forms a gap for the liquid crystals includes a surface relief micro-structure diffuser. Due to the micro-features of the diffuser, the gap is non-uniform. A voltage applied to an electrode associated with the diffuser and an electrode associated with an opposing substrate controls the orientation of uniaxial nematic liquid crystals in a material filling the non-uniform gap. For example, the index of refraction of the material may vary relative to an index of refraction of the diffuser, based on variations of the crystal orientation caused by variation of the applied voltage. The change in relative indices of refraction, in the examples, changes a focal length of the variable optic and thus the shape of a light beam optically processed through the liquid crystal optic.

Variable light shaping optic using liquid crystals and surface relief micro-structure diffuser

A system comprises a driver and an electrowetting cell controlled by the driver that includes a substrate that includes a well filled with at least two non-mixing media. The well has lateral walls and a stepped control channel electrode matrix including multiple stepped control channel electrode arrays. The lateral walls can collectively form a continuous perimeter around the well (e.g., circle shaped). Each stepped control channel electrode array includes a number of stepped control channel electrodes formed at different longitudinal levels along a respective lateral wall. Each stepped control channel electrode is independently controllable to control a shape of the at least two non-mixing media via an electric field. Each lateral wall encloses the at least two non-mixing media inside the well.

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Sterling, VA, United States of America

Alexander Jacob Schultz